MINNEAPOLIS – FEBRUARY 8, 2018 – If Heggies Pizza gets its way, “home slice” will be redefined in Minnesota.

With National Pizza Day approaching on Friday, Feb. 9, the Northern Minnesota frozen pizza company is calling on its home state to officially embrace and adopt the square pizza slice over the triangle slice. Heggies recently delivered a letter to Gov. Mark Dayton asking him to declare the square slice as the official pizza slice of Minnesota.

As of press time, the company hadn’t heard anything from Dayton’s office – perhaps because he and his staff have more pressing issues to address.

Circle Around the Square

A 2017 online survey of more than 1,000 Americans conducted by ORC International’s CARAVAN® Omnibus, an independent surveyor, gleaned insights on pizza eaters’ preferred method of slicing their pie. The people spoke and the triangles sauced the squares. Eighty-six percent of the nation chose triangles while only 14 percent prefer their slices squared.

In a pithy response, Heggies owner Shawn Dockter said: “Whatever.” While Heggies pizzas welcomes all slices, the square – called the “party slice” – typically fits best within their circle. “We love that our fans buck trends by embracing the party slice,” he said. “We’ve heard a lot about the ‘Bold North’ recently and our petition just reinforces that theme.”

With approximately 3 billion pizzas (that’s 251,770,000 lbs.) sold in the U.S. annually, there are plenty of slices to go around. Heggies has been a Minnesota-based frozen pizza producer since 1989, with 13 pizza styles that can be found in bars, restaurants and retail locations across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Dakotas, and online at www.heggiespizza.com.

The Square Slice is Nice

Five-time James Beard nominated chef Doug Flicker, who also co-owns the recently opened Bull’s Horn bar in Minneapolis with his wife Amy Greeley, recently collaborated with Heggies on a couple of fan-favorite pies, the El Jefe Mexican Pizza and the Sloppy Joe Pizza. He also endorsed the square slice. “Eating a pizza cut in triangular slices is the equivalent to playing checkers,” he noted. “You have six maybe eight moves? Eating a pizza cut in squares is like playing chess. Where on the board are you going to pull from? How aggressive are you going to be? You really need to get in the head of the person you’re eating with…rattle their cage.

“It requires skill, you have to be thinking about three or four slices down the road.”

So really, it’s about strategy and empowerment for the pizza eater.

“Personally, I also prefer party slices,” said Dockter. “They offer a focus on a favorite part of the pizza and can take the pizza further to create more happy people. It also allows you to choose exactly the part of the pizza you want – whether you’re a crust person, a center person or something in between.”